In the fall of 1967 I went to a parade with my mom and little sister. As the high school drum line marched by, my mom encouraged me, “You should do that.”
As it turned out, my school was having fourth grade band tryouts that week. I signed up. The tryout wasn’t as hard as I expected. It consisted of some simple rhythm patterns to listen to and duplicate, and a few written questions about timing. I was excited to be one of the few people to score 100 on the test! This was huge. I rarely got a 100 on anything!
I thought, “Hmm… Maybe this is…“something”.”
Fifty-plus years later, it still is “something”. And I still hold the same belief about playing drums. It’s not as hard as you might expect! A few simple rhythm patterns, and some understanding about timing. After that it’s all repetition. Lots of repetition. Get used to it. It’s your foundation as a drummer.
There’s something calming about playing a beat over and over and over again. It has certain numbing effect that brings a kind of peace to your brain. It’s almost like a mantra. (But you can’t say that in Christian circles. Let’s call it a “zone”.)
It’s so simple in concept, yet so critical in application. The simplest beat can be the cornerstone of a song. You want your beat to be more felt than heard. You almost want it to be unnoticed, only to be sincerely missed if omitted. You’ll notice I said “almost” unnoticed. That’s why you want to put a little “Yeah Yeah Yeah” in your beat. (See Ringo.)
I can help you play drums. You really don’t need much help. You’re better at it than you think. You just have to get started. Email me at kvnemike@yahoo.com.